Page 190 of Paradox
In another futile attempt, Tek forgets the six inches Eden has on him, and swings again.
I throw up my hands. “You’vedone this—no one but you. We wanted to talk. You could have yelled all you wanted. Punched a hole in the wall for all we’d care. But this… This isn’t how the Tek I know wouldevertreat me.”
Still blind to reason, Tek swings again, but this time when he misses, he kicks. I know its intention. I practiced the move myself so many times I know he’ll crack ribs. So with my upperarm tight against my side and my fist up by my shoulder, I tense all my muscles and dive between them.
The top of Tek’s foot smashes against my arm, and no matter how hard I try to grit through the pain, the strength of his kick sends me crashing to my knees.
The most gut wrenching groan comes from my brother, and I’m too afraid to open my eyes and see what Eden’s done to him. So with my head down—my right hand supporting my left arm against my chest—I listen to the grunts of frustration, the sounds of bodies shuffling and feet scuffing, then the smack of my brother's head against the cabin wall.
Ready to jump to his defense—even after everything he just said—I’m shocked silent when I see it’s not Eden, but Carey gripping him by the collar.
“Calm the fuck down!” Carey yells, again.
Yes, they are the same height. Yes, Carey’s voice is so much deeper than I expected it to be. And in spite of all that, Tek still has at least thirty pounds of muscle on him. One push and he could have him flat out on the floor. But he just stands there, seething, tortured, torn between lashing out and something I can’t put my finger on.
“You’re the one who needs to get their ass in the truck.”
“Not without Jin.”
“You fucked up any chance of that happening when you barged in here.”
Tek slams his fists back against the wall. “What the hell did you expect me to do?”
“Use your damn brain.” Like Tek’s ears are open for the first time, his eyes clear and pan to me before quickly focusing back on Carey. “You’re allowed to be pissed. And right now you probably do wanna kill him, but you need to think for a second. Is this really what you want?”
“He’s nineteen.”
“Yes. He is nineteen.” Carey nods like he’s speaking to a child. “Andyou’rethirty-five.”
Tek bares his teeth and growls. Then he grips Carey’s wrists and tries to pull them away.
Carey lets his head fall back.
“Fuck this shit,” he sighs, and jerks Tek away from the wall. “If you’re gonna act like a child, you can get treated like one.”
“Don’t tell me what to do,” Tek complains the whole way—still trying to get Carey’s hands off of him.
Pressing his forehead against my brothers, Carey says, "Someone’s got to,” and pushes him out onto the porch. “Now get in the fucking truck!”
Again, the deep bellow of his voice makes me jump, and I look to Eden who pulls me to his side.
Quickly shutting the cabin door, Carey leans against it and gives us both the sweetest, butter wouldn’t melt, smile. “It was nice to meet you, Jin.”
“Ah… Same. I guess.”
Then all his attention is on Eden. “For your sake, I hope this is real.”
“You think I’d put up with this shit if it wasn’t?”
“I mean, I saw you beating Tek into the wall, so I’m not quite sure what you were putting up with.”
“I don’t have to answer to you.”
Carey points outside with his thumb. “And I don’t have to take him away.”
“He was out of line.”
“And to him, you’re out of line. So maybe just consider it from his side, then soften it a little bit and—never mind.” He shakes his head. “Do you have an ETA on when you’ll be home?”
